Bach for Nobel peace prize? No ‘formal discussion’: IOC

Olympic officials played down a suggestion that the unified Korean ice hockey team could be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize on Tuesday and said there had been “no formal discussion” about proposing IOC chief Thomas Bach for the honour.

Mark Adams, spokesman for the International Olympic Committee, said there had been “no consideration whatsoever” within the body of nominating the joint Korean team, following a suggestion by American IOC member Angela Ruggiero.

“From an IOC administrative level there’s been no consideration whatsoever of this. Obviously members are able to have their own personal views… but there’s been no discussion,” he said. When asked if Bach should be proposed for the prize, after helping broker North Korea’s attendance, Adams said: “There’s no formal discussion yet at all.”

Bach is scheduled to visit North Korea after the Games, where their athletes marched together with South Korea at the opening ceremony. The two Koreas also formed their first unified Olympic team in the women’s ice hockey.

North Korea’s participation has triggered a burst of reconciliation with South Korea, including a visit by Kim Jong Un’s sister and an invitation to Pyongyang for South Korean leader. -AFP